It’s a bright sunny day and you decide to go for a bike ride. Pedaling along, your bike hits a bump in the road and you lurch forward, chipping your tooth against the handlebar. Your lip is bleeding and you are in pain. Or it is Shabbat afternoon and you are at a friend’s house for lunch. The kids are playing in the backyard when your 9 year old daughter come to you crying, her front permanent tooth in her hand. Now what? Accidents happen, and knowing what to do can mean the difference between losing and saving a tooth.
With any trauma to the mouth, you should consult a dentist immediately to determine if treatment is required. If you are in pain, an over the counter pain reliever can be taken. If you have a broken tooth or a toothache, rinse the mouth gently with warm water to clean the area and apply a cold compress to keep the swelling down. The same applies if you bite your lip or your tongue. Never apply an aspirin directly to the gum or aching tooth.
For a permanent tooth that gets knocked out, the key to saving it is to get it back in the socket as soon as possible. Do not scrub the tooth clean, if it is visibly dirty rinse it very lightly with water. If you can, place the tooth back in the socket without touching the root. If that is not possible, keep it moist by placing it between your cheek and gum or place it is a glass of milk and get to your dentists’ office right away. The best chance at keeping the tooth depends on getting it back in the mouth within 30 minutes. Even if you got the tooth in the socket, call your dentist immediately as further treatment and stabilization of the tooth may be necessary.
If you are not sure if a dental problem is an emergency, call your dentist. Any obvious damage to a tooth, regardless of pain, should be treated as soon as possible. Pain is always an emergency, but so are lost fillings or crowns that do not hurt. Even without symptoms, the damage could affect the living tissues inside the tooth, leading to more complex and costly treatments or even tooth loss. While emergencies will happen even in the best situations, prevention is key. Precautions to take include avoiding chewing ice, hard candy or popcorn kernels, all of which can crack teeth, wearing a mouth guard when playing sports and using scissors to open packages or cut things- NEVER your teeth. But above all, see your dentist regularly. Twice yearly checkups go a long way in keeping your mouth healthy and pain free.
Dr. Herbert Schneider has been recognized for his work with fellowship awards from the Academy of General Dentistry and the American Endodontic Society. He also holds a prestigious Mastership from the World Clinical Laser Institute. Dr. Rachel Jacobs joined the practice in 2006. Her calm, yet precise manner makes her a hit with both adults and children. Both Dr’s are certified in the uses of 3 different clinical lasers.
By Dr. Herbert Schneider & Dr. Rachel Jacobs
